


Concurrence

by HelloRoseTyler



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Conventions, Parallel Universes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 01:18:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 3,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15232194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelloRoseTyler/pseuds/HelloRoseTyler
Summary: The Doctor and Donna land in a parallel universe where their lives are broadcast as a television show. They arrive at a Doctor Who convention in Huntsville, Alabama. Set in season 4 between Midnight and Turn Left.





	1. Chapter 1

“DONNA!” The Doctor shouted. “WE’RE GETTING CLOSE! HOLD ON!” The Tardis was protesting loudly, grinding and groaning as much as she could. 

It would be hard landing so close to the time war, but, if the Doctor couldn’t see his own home, maybe he could see something familiar, something in the Kasterborous constellation. He was growing weary from feeling like he was missing something, and River Song had him terribly spooked about his future. It would be good to be “home.” 

They landed with a great jolt, and Donna felt everything jiggle. She looked at The Doctor and rolled her eyes. “Mr. 0% Body Fat.” She muttered. “Where are we?” She called louder. “We are somewhere in the constellation Kasterborous.” He thought that would be enough for Donna. Surely, he wouldn’t have to explain why he wanted to go there. “So, why here?” Donna queried. “It’s, um, it’s very beautiful here this time of year.” He lied, Donna knew it, and he knew that Donna knew. Still, she didn’t push further. He had been off ever since the library, and the spooky adventure on Midnight had taken its toll as well. Donna was trying her best to be understanding. 

The Doctor patted his breast pocket making sure his sonic was there and went to open the door with Donna in tow. “EXTERMINATE!” “EXTERMINATE!” “EXTERMINATE!” The Doctor and Donna were at the end of a hallway facing 3 Daleks. In the distance, they could hear sounds of frenzy. Of course, they had opened their doors on a full-scale Dalek invasion.


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor pulled out his sonic and pointed it at the Daleks. They stopped immediately. “The Doctor has disabled my primary functions,” the first Dalek said. “My motor has overheated!” The second Dalek cried in frustration. Just then the third Dalek opened, and a human head popped out. “What a hunk of junk! I told you we shouldn’t order from China. We’re going to have to completely remake this with a different motor and totally rewire the controls. My cosplay fund is already empty, and there’s no telling how much –”

“WHAT?” The Doctor interrupted. “Hey, man, you’re really good. Are you entering the contest?” The first Dalek had opened to reveal a human too. The second Dalek follow suit. Another human. “Look at that! He’s even got a Donna!” “Doctor, how do they know my name?” Donna whispered, but The Doctor had spotted something and was eyeing it curiously. Each of the humans inside the Daleks was wearing a badge. “Con Kasterborous,” he read the first line. Donna read the second. “North Alabama’s premiere Doctor Who convention.” Below that was a picture of the Tardis.


	3. Chapter 3

Donna wanted to ask so many questions, but even she was too confused for words. She uttered a very simple “Doctor?” as the humans exited their Daleks and pushed them down the hall, jabbering about how they might fix them. 

The Tardis made a horrible hiss and squeaked out a noise Donna didn’t recognize. “What’s wrong with the Tardis?” She asked. The Doctor leapt back inside, and Donna followed. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no!” The Doctor whined. “We must’ve gotten too close to the time war; I knew this was a bad idea…” He was speaking to himself. Donna hated it when he did that. “What are you talking about?” She demanded. The Doctor tapped a few buttons on the console and let out a defeated sigh. “We’re on Earth, but not your Earth,” he explained. Donna rolled her eyes. “We’re on a… um… parallel Earth,” The Doctor let the words sink into the air before continuing to himself, “and not even one that I’ve been to before that might have a few friends on it. No, it couldn’t possibly be that one…” Suddenly, he looked up at Donna and said ominously, “we’re on our own.”


	4. Chapter 4

“See, the Tardis, well, she doesn’t quite work the same here. We’ll have to find a way to charge her…” The Doctor began explaining as he gathered what looked like a bunch of useless trinkets when Donna interrupted. “But why… how did they know our names?” “I suppose we’ll find out,” he answered, “We must find something to jump start the Tardis, and the only way to do that is to venture out there. Stay nearby, Donna. Parallel worlds can be very dangerous and very tempting. Just remember, this is not your reality.” Donna nodded; she could tell he was serious. 

They crept out of the Tardis and followed the noise down the hall and into a large room. The harsh fluorescent lights temporarily blinded them. Their eyes soon adjusted, and Donna exclaimed, “Bluh. Dee. Hell.” She was in a sea of people, all dressed exactly like The Doctor.


	5. Chapter 5

“Well, isn’t this just wizard! Surrounded by a bunch of skinny alien bois!” Donna exclaimed sarcastically. She whipped around fully intending to glare at The Doctor, but he was staring at something. Donna followed his gaze. At first, all she saw was a spinning pink and yellow blur. After the twirling stopped, Donna was able to focus on her, a pretty blonde wearing a bubblegum pink dress. She laughed as she fluffed the full skirt at her friends. Donna’s focus moved to them. They were all blonde. One wore a very short overall skirt; the other’s shirt had a big bright union jack on it. She looked back at The Doctor. Pain washed over his face, but he quickly composed himself because the blonde in the pink dress was walking toward him. 

“Excuse me, could I get a picture with you?” She asked and then continued, getting flustered by The Doctor’s awkward silence. “You’re such a good ten. I mean, you look JUST like him, and that’s really hard to do because he’s so hot – not that I think you’re hot or anything – I mean, you look great, I just, um…” The Doctor finally snapped out of it. “Sure, sure, we can take a picture together.” He replied. “Oh my god, you sound just like him too! Do you mind, Donna?” She said as she handed over her phone. “Oh, and I want one with you too!” Confused, Donna took the picture and then posed herself. Soon, they were surrounded by people wanting pictures. They posed and posed unable to say two words to each other before another person asked for a photo. The crowd broke for a tiny bit, so Donna and The Doctor hurried away through another hallway and into a small dark room lit only by a film projection.

“Here we are, Doctor. Take a good look. See what you can deduce.” “Rose.” The Doctor wasn’t speaking, but the voice was his own. He and Donna both looked at the screen. Donna’s jaw dropped to the floor.


	6. Chapter 6

“That’s you. YOU. On the screen! Oh my god, that’s her! The girl who just spoke to you! She doesn’t have a face! What is this? A film? What the bloody hell is going on?” Donna whispered eagerly.

“…there is no power on this earth that can stop me!” The video continued and then abruptly stopped. Someone near the screen stood up to speak. He was wearing a shirt that said “the angels have the phone box.” He began, “So, that was the scene that aired. And here’s the same scene from the blooper reel.” Another video promptly began. This time, the girl’s face was there but covered in dots, and the Doctor couldn’t stop laughing at her. The audience in the room laughed along. When the video stopped, the speaker said, “Fittingly, that was number 10 on our list of Doctor Who bloopers, on to number 9!” 

Donna’s eyes grew wide as she saw herself appear on the screen. She looked at The Doctor in horror. He stumbled over the words as he spoke. “Donna, I think, in this universe, our adventures… our lives… are a television show.”


	7. Chapter 7

Donna ran back into the big room with The Doctor on her heels. Everywhere she looked she saw her face, The Doctor’s face, faces she knew, faces she didn’t know that looked strangely familiar, memories of adventures – it was all too much. The room was spinning; Donna closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

“We have to be very careful, Donna. We don’t know how much of this is true, but, if any of it is, we could end up seeing part of a future we haven’t lived yet. I don’t know what – ” The Doctor was interrupted by a noise. He frantically searched his pockets. One of the trinkets he stashed earlier was beeping rapidly. “There’s a power source nearby! Enough to charge the Tardis! It should be just… down… there.” The Doctor spoke slowly as he pointed to the opposite end of the large room. 

They looked at what lay in front of them – a myriad of tables, crafts, artwork, t-shirts, dolls, et cetera – all bearing their likeness. “We’re… at a convention... based on our lives.” Donna stumbled over the words. The Doctor looked surprised. “I dated a Trekkie once. I’ve seen Galaxy Quest! I did have a life before you, you know!” She got louder with every sentence, turning some nearby heads. “Donna, we’ve got to get the power source and get out of here as inconspicuously as possible.” The Doctor said calmly but sternly. “Nope. This is too weird. I’m going back to the Tardis. You find the power source. And let’s get the hell – ” Something interrupted Donna. The trinket was beeping again. “No no no no no no!” The Doctor shouted. “Something’s followed us.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Hah! Spot on, mate!” A passerby quipped, pointing at The Doctor and chuckling. “Time energy.” The Doctor whispered to Donna. “Am I supposed to know what that means?” She snapped. “It means angels. Weeping angels.” He continued. 

Donna shuddered. The Doctor and Martha had told her about the weeping angels. It sounded more like a campfire story than anything that could be real. Secretly, she had always hoped they were pulling her leg because that would mean she couldn’t cross paths with one. “If they touch us here, Donna, I don’t know that I can get us back. I got lucky last time, but it won’t work the same in a parallel universe. I don’t –” “Doctor,” Donna interrupted in a frightened, shaky voice, “Do they…do they look like that?” 

She pointed across the aisle, knowing to keep her eyes locked on it. The Doctor spun around and fixed his eyes on it too, but the angel kept moving. “OH MY GOD!” The Weeping Angel shrieked. “Can I get a picture with you???” Donna heaved a sigh of relief. It was just another costume. They snapped a few quick photos before the trinket beeped again. “Gotta run!” The Doctor smiled as best he could. “Oooooh! It goes ding when there’s stuff!” The weeping angel laughed as she waved them on.


	9. Chapter 9

“The charge! It’s just… down… here…” The Doctor stopped in front of a booth with a big banner that read NASA. On the table laid pamphlets about the museum, calendars with upcoming events, educational materials, a globe, star maps, and some funny looking rocks. 

“Blah blah blah blah blah meteorite blah blah blah planet blah blah?” “Blah blah blah Kentucky blah blah blah Eclipse blah blah blah.” “Ohhhh, blah blah blah interesting. Blah blah blah rocket?” “Blah blah blah science.” This was all Donna heard as The Doctor spoke to the person behind the booth. She didn’t want The Doctor to see how afraid she was, but all her thoughts were focused on keeping her eyes peeled for weeping angels. 

The Doctor ended his conversation and gently nudged Donna to keep walking. They stopped a couple booths away. The Doctor turned to Donna. “Did you see the meteorite? The purple one?” Donna nodded. “That’s the power source. That will get us out of here.” “We can’t just take a meteorite from NASA!” Donna argued. “Don’t worry, I’m going to leave them something better.” The Doctor winked and handed her a nearly identical rock. “It’s from Petram V. They’ll never figure it out! We just have to casually shop around and wait for our opportunity.” “While trying not to be sent back in time in a parallel universe with no means of rescue by a weeping angel, right?” Donna added. The Doctor nodded. Donna inhaled a deep breath and began pretending to shop. That’s when she saw it.


	10. Chapter 10

It was a painting. A very elaborate painting. A very erotic painting. Of The Doctor and The Master embracing, shirtless, and locked in a kiss. “Pfffffft!” She began cackling so hard she could barely catch her breath. “What? What?” The Doctor asked. Donna tried but couldn’t speak; she had to resort to pointing. The Doctor pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingertips and let out an annoyed groan. “Did – hah – did that – hehehe – did that happen?!” Donna could barely finish. “NO! The Doctor wailed. 

“Mmmm, hel-lo sweetie.” A deep, sultry voice called out. A woman dressed as River Song was eyeing The Doctor like he was a big glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. “Donna,” she nodded, “though I’m sure you don’t remember me.” “Um, you’re River Song, I just met you.” Donna said, forgetting where she was for a moment. To the Doctor’s surprise, the woman didn’t miss a beat. “Oh, I see, you haven’t quite gotten there yet, have you? Spoilers!” She sang the last word. “Be a dear, will you, and take my photo with this delicious man?” Donna sighed, annoyed at all the picture-taking, but she snapped one anyway. “So long, sweetie.” She said sadly then licked her teeth while grabbing The Doctor’s backside. “Just a little something for me to think about later.” “HEY!” cried a familiar voice. “COSPLAY IS NOT CONSENT!”


	11. Chapter 11

He was older here, in this universe. His hair, still perfectly styled, was grey, and there were creases around his eyes The Doctor had never seen before. He was, of course, still dashingly handsome (as evidenced by the look on Donna’s face), but The Doctor got the feeling this universe’s Captain Jack Harkness wasn’t quite the “51st century guy” he knew. 

“Ja-ohn. John Barrowman.” The Doctor read the banner above his table while the celebrity jokingly yelled to the River Song costumer who was scurrying away, “ONLY I AM ALLOWED TO DO THAT TO THIS ONE. YOU GET THE NEXT ONE ALL TO YOURSELF!” The crowd at his table laughed. He slid out from behind his table and over to The Doctor. “My god, you’re perfect!” He turned to the crowd and gestured, “Look at him!” They all cheered. “I think he needs to meet someone. What do you think?” They cheered louder.


	12. Chapter 12

Before they knew what was happening, The Doctor and Donna were being led across the room with an eager crowd following them. Donna managed to whisper to The Doctor, “Who is this guy?” “An old friend.” He spoke through his teeth while smiling nervously. “Maybe I can find a painting of him and me around here.” Donna raised her eyebrows and clicked her tongue. John stopped and called to someone The Doctor couldn’t see past the crowds. “May I present your Doctor, Ms. Piper!” It couldn’t be. 

Time hadn’t touched her like it had Jack. She was still just as beautiful as the 19-year-old he met in his last form. The girl whose image he kept tucked in his heart; the girl whose name kept him fighting when all hope was lost. He knew it wasn’t really her, but he couldn’t help pretending it was. She smiled sweetly at him and furrowed her eyebrows. “What have we got here?” She said quietly. It was only then that The Doctor realized all words had left him. If she noticed, she didn’t show it; instead, she began inspecting his suit. Her fingers gently adjusted his tie and lapels while she cooed with the rest of the crowd about how detailed the costume was. Donna noticed everyone was watching the interaction, even the NASA booth was empty. Now was her chance. She slipped back, exchanged the rocks, and turned to double back to the Doctor, but something was in her way.


	13. Chapter 13

Her eyes widened. She knew this one was real. She couldn’t call out for him or every idiot in a pinstripe suit would come running and then be in danger. She was alone. Her eyes were getting dry. She so desperately wanted to blink. 

The Doctor’s gadget beeped frantically and snapped him out of his daze. Across the room, he could see Donna face to face with a weeping angel. “Lovely to meet you, Ms. Piper. Got to run!” The crowd roared as he pecked her on the cheek and took off sonic in hand. “DONNA!” He yelled.

But he was too late. Donna blinked. The angel touched her, and everything went dark.

Outside the convention hall, Rose Tyler materialized. She looked around. Some menacing looking aliens in black suits here. Some robots with smiley faces there. “Earth, but not the right one. This one’s teeming with aliens.” She spoke to herself, lonely and defeated. She disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.


	14. Chapter 14

Donna woke up on the jump seat of the Tardis. The Doctor was staring at her with a furrowed brow; it made her uncomfortable. “What are you looking at?” She demanded defensively. “You should have died, Donna. You should’ve been sent away. The angel touched you.” The Doctor seemed concerned. “What are you talking about?” Donna asked, confused. “What’s the last thing you remember?” He asked. “We just left Midnight. I must’ve fallen asleep while you were deciding where to go.” Donna wondered if the Doctor was going crazy. 

The Doctor thought for a minute then shrugged, deciding it may be best not to tell Donna the full story just yet. “I don’t know what’s looking out for you, Donna Noble, but you may be the luckiest person I know.” She half smiled; she didn’t really know how to process that sentiment, but the look on his face told her now wasn’t the time to ask questions. 

“Well, I’m going to have a bath. I feel like I’ve been in a petri dish for some reason. I haven’t smelled this funky since my ex-boyfriend took me to a Star Trek convention.” Donna waved as she walked down the Tardis’ hall.

The Doctor looked at her in amazement. He looked at his gadget again and spoke aloud to himself. “A different source of time energy. It must’ve counteracted the angel, but what was it?”


End file.
